


Roses Are Just Too Cliche

by OhNoMyBreadsticks



Series: Bready's S&S Bingo Fills [8]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Date Swapping, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Date, Canon Character of Color, F/F, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, Misunderstandings, Online Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29643564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhNoMyBreadsticks/pseuds/OhNoMyBreadsticks
Summary: Aiden is rightfully a little trepidatious about meeting his blind date. Especially when their only method of identifying one another is a single red rose.But things will work out for the best, right?
Relationships: Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher), Renfri | Shrike/Fringilla Vigo
Series: Bready's S&S Bingo Fills [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141505
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46
Collections: Sugar and Spice Witcher Bingo





	Roses Are Just Too Cliche

**Author's Note:**

> My second to last bingo fill is for the prompt 'wrong date'! This was the most challenging prompt of the whole 9, and I had lots of help coming up with the plot! [Cato](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cato_universe) gave me the idea for the setup, and then [Socks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/connorssock/pseuds/jaskiersvalley) came in with the assist on who the characters should be, so shoutout to both of them <3 <3 
> 
> I am already infatuated with the idea of Renfri/Fringilla after writing this very first fic of them, and it's always a blast to write some lambden XD
> 
> I've filed this under the Witcher Netflix fandom because I love Mimi Ndiweni and Emma Appleton way too much to imagine these characters any other way tbqh!

Standing here in a courtyard, holding a rose, Aiden was beginning to wonder if this had all been a terrible idea. Online dating was already fraught with complications, and completely blind dating, well, that added a whole new layer of things that could go wrong. Hilariously, he had joined this particular dating site because he wanted to get away from all of the pressures and weirdness of conventional online dating. This place didn’t allow pictures, discouraged the sharing of personal information, and had allowed him to set his preferences to ‘any/all’ genders. People were just hot, he didn’t need to get hung up on the labels. 

And although this setup sounded like the perfect way to get targeted by a serial killer and lured to a secondary location (okay maybe he just listened to way too many true crime podcasts), it had ended up being really really incredible. He matched with people and wasn’t immediately bombarded with questions about his sexual position preferences, or sent pictures of genitals. It was just...conversation. Not always good conversation, granted, but it had allowed him to actually meet some interesting folks. A few had shared some personal information after they’d chatted for a few weeks, but the person Aiden was here to meet had been very closed off about any sort of details. Instead of gender, physical description, and age, he instead knew about their life, their username (ASimpleCaseofSorcery), and their personality. 

Like how they adored cats but couldn’t allow themselves to have one as a pet since they had accidentally let their childhood cat escape during a move. Or how they loved watching movies, but only if they got to pick them apart while they were watching, because there was nothing they hated more than a character that acted on the complete opposite of logic. It had been a slow gradual process, but Aiden had found himself becoming more and more intrigued and wanting to know them even better. Just the kind of connection he had been hoping for with a partner. Both of them were a bit on the cautious side, so they had agreed to meet in a public place for the first time, then go have dinner at a little cafe he had been dying to try. Was he still too anxious to go out to eat by himself? Maybe.

That anxiety was spiking now, as Aiden considered the fact that their method of identification maybe hadn’t been….the smartest. Neither of them had ever met up with a totally blind date before, so they had settled on the very cliche method of carrying a rose. Which, he was just now realizing, made him look like a very lonely Romeo being stood up as he stood there and twiddled the long stem in his fingers. His silent worrying was suddenly interrupted by a breathless “Hi!” from behind, and Aiden spun to face the voice.

The man in front of him was, well, he was certainly handsome. And a good foot taller than Aiden, although that wasn’t exactly unusual. But what caught Aiden’s attention right away, more than any of that, was the look on the man’s face. It was a look of wide-eyed excitement, like he was seeing the most beautiful person in the world for the first time. And damn if that didn’t make Aiden’s stomach flutter with butterflies. He’d always been a sucker for people who experienced the world vividly. ASimpleCaseofSorcery hadn’t quite struck him as that type when they had spoken, but there was no denying the expression on the face in front of him.

“Hi, uh, are you here for the date?” The man asks, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, and Aiden realizes he hasn’t said a word. How fucking rude. 

“Yes, yeah, that’s me.” he says, holding out a hand and shaking the one that clasps it. It’s a firm grip, and only a little sweaty on both sides. “I suppose now’s the time to do introductions, eh? My name’s Aiden.” he offers to try and make up for the momentary lapse in manners. 

“I’m Lambert. It’s so great to finally meet you!” comes the reply, and Aiden feels himself start to smile, some of the enthusiasm rub off on him. Okay, so maybe a little different than he had imagined, but this date is already shaping up to be the best one he’s had in years.

* * *

From a different side of the courtyard, Fringilla is watching two men have an enthusiastic meeting, like long-lost lovers reunited at last. At least, that’s what it looks like given the sappy expressions they’re both sporting. She reaches up and fidgets with the rose she’s tucked into the lapel of her dove gray suit, considering just how stupid this plan really is. She’d allowed herself to be blinded by the first real connection she’s had in years of dating, and gone with the sappy option - roses. Not that she’s even a big fan of flowers. All they do is die, and waste water and space in her apartment. 

She  _ is _ a big fan of ‘CatAmongPigeons’ as they were called online, and the easy way they make her laugh, get her out of her head for a little while each day. She needs that, needs companionship that won’t make her overthink things any more than she already does. Fringilla deserves something easy this time. Something good. She really really does. She takes a deep breath, reminding herself to give this time. She’s sure her date will show. When she opens her eyes, there’s someone standing in front of her, a rose held in one hand while the other is planted on her hip. 

The first thing Fringilla notices is the confidence. This woman is looking at her without an ounce of nervousness or hesitation, mouth pulled up into a crooked smile as her eyes flick between the rose on Fringilla’s lapel, and her face. There’s something about her energy that immediately sets Fringilla at ease, a feeling that yes, this is correct, this is meant to be. Except...well, she’s her, so she can’t just assume that the best is happening.

“ACatAmongPigeons?” Fringilla asks, because really that’s all she’s got to go on. Sure, this person could be a dangerous predator and fake knowing her, but the chances of that are slim and -- the woman in front of her’s smile falters, and she shakes her head.

“No, that’s not my username.” She says, “Although I can’t believe...are you here for a blind date too?” Fringilla nods, even though her heart feels like it’s dropping down to the pavement. Of course this wonderful person isn’t here for her. 

To her surprise, the woman starts to laugh “Oh my god, what are the odds? That we’d both choose to wear roses as our identifier?” She pauses, adding “I mean, I guess that’s a pretty obvious one, huh?”

“It’s so cliche!” Fringilla bursts out, and the woman’s smile is back, and somehow that makes Fringilla feel like she’s accomplished something. 

“Right? I’m really bad at coming up with ideas though, so I just went with whatever my date picked. I think they’re a bit of a secret sap, to be honest with you.” She explains, but there’s no judgement in her voice. She looks around the courtyard, scanning it to see if there’s anyone else that might be either of their dates, and her eyes land on the two men across the way. They’re starting to leave, heading towards the indie food district that’s a few blocks away. And one of them is…

“Are those our dates?” She asks, and Fringilla frowns as she squints over towards them. Sure enough, at least one, if not both of them appear to be holding roses. Well fuck. She can’t believe that  _ this  _ is where fate decided to drag her - watching her actual blind date walk off with a totally random stranger he clearly made an immediate connection with. She tries to school her features to remain impassive, but a little bit of the disappointment must seep through, because the woman is looking down at her with a twinkle in her eye. 

“I think we’re probably better off like this,” she says, and before Fringilla can ask why, she says matter-of-factly, “Because anyone who’s too dumb to ask for confirmation that they’re meeting the right person isn’t my type anyways.” The realization that that’s  _ exactly _ what those two did hits Fringilla with a wave of giggles that she tries to stifle behind her hand. 

Feeling brave, Fringilla asks, “And people who do ask for confirmation? Are they your type?” 

She’s rewarded with a gentle bump against of a shoulder against her shoulder, and a wink. A wink!!

“Oh very much so.” Comes the answer, and Fringilla suspects she’s found something pretty damn special. Sharing the dinner Renfri had reserved for her date, giggling into a glass of sparkling rose, and watching the way Renfri’s eyes light up when she tells stories from her life, Fringilla realizes that yeah, pretty damn special might be an understatement.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this very silly romcom plot :D I'd imagine the boys figure out the mixup all the way after dinner, and then they have a good laugh over how stupid they are XD Maybe the four of them go out for double dates....the possibilities are endless!!!
> 
> Any and all kudos or comments at any time will be loved and cherished, although never required <3 I reply to all my comments, even if it takes me a few days! I'm available on [tumblr](https://ohnomybreadsticks.tumblr.com/) if you ever feel like chatting or reading some of my lil drabbles, I’d love to see you there C:


End file.
